New books

In the beginning of this year the Institue for Theological Research of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology and the Faculty of Security published in English a book whose author is Bishop Jovan (Culibrk) of Pakrac-Slavonia - Historiography of the Holocaust in Yugoslavia. The same book already appeared in Serbian translation by the same publisher in 2011.

It is the text of master’s thesis which Bishop Jovan defended at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem before, today late, Professor David Bankier, to whom this book is dedicated. Professor Bankier was at the same time the head of the International Institute for Holocaust Research – Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, and the present book used all the capacities that Yad Vashem offers to a research-worker, especially the one who, like Bishop Jovan, spent many years working in it.

Reviewers of this book are Simon Epstein from the University of Jerusalem and Milan Koljanin from Belgrade`s Institute for Modern History, the leading world expert for Holocaust. The Book Historiography of the Holocaust in Yugoslavia as a source book has already been used by a great number of the most serious experts for Holocaust, including Michael Feier, Raphael Izraeli, Paul O`Shea and others.

The Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City, New York invites the public to a Book Promotion on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 6pm in promotion of the soon to be released book, "The Christian Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija -The Historical and Spiritual Heartland of the Serbian People", published by the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.

Special guests, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America of the Greek Archdiocese of America and His Grace Bishop Atanasije, retired Bishop of Hercegovina.

This book is a living testimony to the phenomenal efforts of the Serbian Orthodox Church to create an exceptional spiritual and material culture, preserving its century-old monuments and the Christian heritage of Kosovo and Metohija.

The present book consists of Elder Vaileios' talks, discussions and dialogues in various venues mostly in the United States during his visit in 2011, along with excerpts from his writings selected to complement the themes of his talks. The themes dealt with by Fr. Vasileios so eloquently in this book are extraordinarily wide-ranging; he handles complex and difficult issues in theology, spirituality, liturgics, parish life and monasticism with amazing clarity and insight. He quotes with equal facility from figures as diverse as Heraclitus, Dostoevsky, St. Isacc the Syrian, St. Maximus the Confessor, Stefan Zweig, Andrei Tarkovsky, Vladimir Lossy, Georges Florovsky and St. Nicholas Cabasilas. Above all, there is an exhilarating sense of freedom and innocence in his thought. It is the freedom and innocence of profound faith and spiritual knowledge and childlike simplicity. HIs wisnow is expressed via the "hyperlogic" of a hesychastic spriti, which makes for surprising connections and illuminating insights. The appearance of this new book by Archimandrite Vaileios is truly a cuase for celebration.

On Friday, the 4th/ 17th of October 2014, the Palestinian Bible Society hosted an event at the “Convention Center” of the Palestinian Autonomy, between Bethlehem and Hebron. His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, attended the event, accompanied by the Elder Secretary-General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Archdeacon Evlogios, priests from the occupied areas, i.e. the Hagiotaphite Protosyncellus Leontios, vicar in Rafidia; f. Emmanuel, vicar in Aboud Community; f. Boulos, vicar in Beit-Jalla; and f. Issa Mousleh, the Arab-speaking Mass Media Liaison – as well as faithful from the Patriarchate’s Orthodox flock.

THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH BY HIEROMONK MAKARIOS OF SIMONOS PETRA, MT. ATHOS

THE COMPLETE SYNAXARION CONSISTS OF 7 HARDCOVER VOLUMES, WITH 6 VOLUMES, EACH ONE COVERING TWO MONTHS OF THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR AND WITH OVER 550 PAGES IN EACH VOLUME, ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ICONS, MINIATURES, AND ORNAMENTS FROM BYZANTINE MANUSCRIPTS

Published by INDIKTOS and The Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, Ormylia, Chalkidike, Greece